Thursday, September 29, 2011

Police Brutality Vs Peace

This is a ten minute long video taken from MSNBC on the NYPD's attack on peaceful protesters at "Occupy WallStreet" The powerful words spoken by Lawrence O'donnell bring tears to my eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgr3DiqWYCI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I know this doesn't seem to have much to do with my Westy~ but it has to do with you and me every day of our lives. This also includes our vehicles and whatever life choices we make. I have been fortunate up to this point not having a run-in with the "law" but they're eyes glisten and glaze over with dreams of brutality as I peacefully putter by. This post is not to assume that all police officers are bad people, just a majority of them. Thanks for facebook my friends share, almost daily, videos of police brutality and they continue to get away with it. Here are some of my favorite quotes from O'Donnell during his clip (just in case you don't have time to watch it, but you really should because its important.)

"this weekend a few trouble makers turned a peaceful protest against wall street greed into a violence burst of chaos, the troublemakers were carrying pepper spray and guns, and wearing badges."
"Police were grabbing people for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, crushing them on the pavement and arresting them."
"We will post this video on our blog and you won't find ANYONE doing ANYTHING that is legal grounds for arrest."
"Cops know they can always get away with it.. no mayor, no police chief will call them on what they think of as a little too tough"
"This is an AMERICAN policework that we are watching... Everyday in American police cross the line and abuse citizens, EVERDAY in America police get away with it."
"Everything the police done this weekend to these protesters they have already done to someone else with no video cameras rolling"
"They know just how much latitude their dept gives them on abusing citizens, they do it because they know they can...because they can get away with it."
"NONE of them will be charged..."
"The dept has already said the officers acted appropriately, cased closed."
"AMERICAN POLICE HAVE ONE AGAIN GOTTEN AWAY WITH ANOTHER CRIME AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THEY ARE SWORN TO SERVE AND PROTECT"

Now let's have a BBQ!

also as a sidenote~

A Wall Street Hedge Fund Manager made $5 BILLION DOLLARS last year

That's about $480 MILLION DOLLARS per month

That's about $120 MILLION DOLLARS per week

That's about $24 MILLION DOLLARS per day

That's about $3 MILLION DOLLARS per hour

And yet his Federal Income Tax Rate is 15%

Is it any wonder there is a protest
(taken from the comments, I would like to see references on these figures...)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fire On the Mountain

Fire on the Mountain was a great time~ Not sure how many Buses showed up but I would say somewhere around 30 arrived by Saturday, with some other campers without Buses but with a love for them. I arrived Wednesday evening after getting semi-lost a few times. Rabun/Talutha falls is north-west from Aiken so we traveled up some back roads in SC over to GA, but we got turned around because Google gave me strange directions- the way back we just followed the map and took an easier route. The area of SC & GA we went through apparently does not believe in putting a NORTH, WEST, EAST, OR SOUTH direct on their state routes. It will just say 59<---> So a few times we had to turn around and ask someone "um, which way am I pointing?" Next time I will bring a compass!
I got rid of most of my Pindo Palm Jelly~ just have 4 jars left and sold all of my Yetis. I did not sell my art, as I was hardly ever at my site and I am not a good sales person. But there was a lot of interest in them and I don't know if I missed anyone coming back to get one. If anyone is interested they are for sale and I am thinking of starting an Etsy shop soon... I do like having them adorn my walls though~ as I love them! :) I am going to work on more collages this week, just need to find motivation other than VWs!
3 Buses camped in this site~ go to place for fireside guitar & drum circle at night

Waterfall we hiked to everyday~ my happy place is in the woods :)
Lookat these hippies! ;) Since Trey couldn't go, my friend Cam did

Here are photos of my friend Snoopy's Bus that just got painted, he and his adorable Springer Spaniels shared a campsite with us. Snoopy is also the owner of the orange 21 window Bus I've taken pictures of at High Country. PaintedBus is the username or handle of the artist who does these awesome murals on V-dubbs. Im not sure what his name is, just seen is album on Flickr. He was down here in SC doing Snoopy's paint job a few weeks ago on a VW bus painting trip. Imagine that! Traveling and painting VW buses and getting to meet and hang out with awesome VW owners~ a dream come true!
Wanderlust

It gives me inspiration for my next paint job!

Same artist painted this "preacher & teacher"s Pop Top canvas~ But will it Last?!
Saturday night the whole group got together and did a potluck & awards. I got a prize in a drawing for being a new Moonie but unfortunately i was unloading firewood at the event host's site for him! But I got there right at the end and got a "Sven Hole cleaner." Its an inside joke within the group and now I can keep my sven holes clean until I get to give it to someone next year!

Bumble Bee Bus
As you can see, my new camera just doesn't take the quality photos as my Canon did. I may try to get it repaired or atleast traded in for a new Canon~ NEVER take your retractable lens camera to the beach/ get it in sand!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Fire On the Mountain Preparation


This week is Fire on the Mountain~ in Lakemont, GA- the NorthEastern part. Its about 3 1/2 hours from me, on the backroads which would make for a nice drive in the Bus. I hope to leave Wednesday so I get in enough time to hike and talk with other bus peoples about my shift troubles. We crawled up under the Bus and the clutch cable is tightened, everything looks good as far as I can see, but I don't really know what I am looking at and the handbook (Bently) isn't much help. Either way it is in great running condition to scoot around, I just need to shift with care. Trey won't be joining me, as he has to work through Friday and we don't want to drive up just for a day and a half, so I am going it alone. This will be the longest I've ever driven in the Bus alone! But I'm not scared, and hopefully I can get a friend to join me. :)

I started making collages from Hancocks Of Paducah fabric catalogs they've sent me after I bought the great mushroom print fabric that adorns my Bus windows. I just love all the fabrics and I am not the greatest sewer (yet) so for now I get to play around with their patterns for free! :) Thanks Hancocks! I hope I can sell these at the festival!